UBC: Becoming A Transformed Community...

Below are three Spiritual Practices to help us move in the direction of discipleship and transformation... ________________________________________________

Ignatian Prayer of Examen

The best guide I have found for this practice is from Mars Hill (Michigan.)  It can be found HERE...

Go through this practice at least one time each day for the next two weeks.  The first few days will feel awkward and a little disjointed. Over time, however, you will become comfortable with the questions you are asking of yourself.

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The Practice of Solitude

Determine the time of your day or week when you feel the most lonely.  Dedicate that moment to pulling away and tending to God.  As with every spiritual practice, make sure you are free from distractions.  Try the following things to focus your self away from anxiety and toward God...

-- The Jesus Prayer.  Recite the following prayer-- "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner."  Repeat the prayer until it becomes a part of you.  The Jesus Prayer has helped Christians for centuries continually recognize God in their midst, and be continually aware of our constant need for his presence and grace.

-- Read the 23rd Psalm through a few times, then go for a quiet walk, focusing on resting in God.

-- Spend a full 30 minutes writing out a prayer to God.  (If you type it on your computer, make sure to close your email and internet.)

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The Practice of Reading Scripture for Transformation

Spend at least 30 minutes every day for the next two weeks reading Scripture for the purpose of transformation. (A guide is provided below.)  Read each passage slowly, deliberately, and out loud, three times.  After each reading, spend some time silently reflection on the following questions...

1.  1^st Reading: Listen to the Holy Spirit minister God’s Word to you. What one word or phrase especially touches your heart?

2.  2^nd Reading: Enter the passage. What emotions do you have? What personal struggle or longing in your life today is God speaking into? (Be specific.)

3.  3^rd Reading: Receive what Christ has for you today. What is your personal invitation from the Lord? What do you sense God might be saying to you?

At the end of each time reading, reflect on previous readings and try to draw connections between what you read today and what you read yesterday.

Week 1

Day 1:  Exodus 3:1-7

Day 2:  1 Samuel 3:1-10

Day 3:  2 Kings 22:3-20

Day 4:  Nehemiah 8:1-11

Day 5:  Psalm 119:33-48

Day 6:  Luke 4:16-22

Day 7:  Revelation 10:1-11

Week 2

Day 1:  Mark 8:34-37

Day 2:  Mark 9:33-37

Day 3:  Mark 10:41-45

Day 4:  Matthew 10:34-39

Day 5:  Mathew 11:11-15

Day 6:  Luke 17:5-6

Day 7:  John 12:24-25

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The Practice of Intentional Spiritual Friendship

Consider using the basic questions found in the Ignatian prayer of exam at the top of this page as a conversation starter when visiting with your close community of friends.  The may require you to practice the awkwardness of bringing this up in conversation.  Consider the following questions as you have lunch with friends...

-- When in the past week have you felt most alive?  When have you felt most aware of God's work in your life?

-- What are you most grateful for?

Instead of praying over your food in public, consider just saying something like this before you eat:  "Well, before we eat let me just say that I'm thankful to God for the food we are about to eat and for our time together."

Be mindful that everyone you encounter is a person, loved by God and on a journey to God.  Be intentional about guding them along on this journey, as they guide you.

Song List (September 30)

Hello again! These are the songs from last week.  Hope the fall weather is breathing a little bit of new life into your week. Holy Holy Holy- ala Sufjan Stevens

You are Holy- The Gladsome Light

This is Not the End- Gungor

Your Glory- All Sons and Daughters

Offering song: We Can Shine- The Gladsome Light

See you soon,

Tye

Kyle Lake Foundation....

UBC folks and assorted friends,  

Our friends over at the Kyle Lake Foundation have some great things going on in the next week or so and we wanted to let you know how you could help out.

• The Kyle Lake golf tournament will be Friday October 12^th at Twin Rivers Golf club.  You can sign-up online here-- http://www.kylelake.org/preview/signup_golf.html
• We could use a small handful of people to help stuff goodie bags for the tournament on Thursday night.  If you can help with this, email craig@ubcwaco.org.
• On Thursday of this week (October 4,) Baylor’s Association of Black Students, Kappa Sigma and Kappa Alpha Theta will be hosting a Fish Fry Carnival from 6:30-10:00.  A portion of the proceeds from this fun event will go to help the Kyle Lake Foundation.

We hope you can participate and help out an amazing organization!

Blessings,

Craig Nash

Community Pastor

UBC Waco

Sunday Song List (September 23)

First of all, a big thanks to The Digital Age for leading us in a beautiful Sunday service this past week.  The acoustic instruments created an awesome analog sound! Go Tell it on the Mountain

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms

Tis So Sweet

Doxology

How Great Thou Art

Check out The Digital Age on the web at thedigitalagemusic.com

Have a great week and see you soon!

Tye

Sunday Song List (September 16)

Hello Everyone! Here is the song list from this past week. Good Bones- The Gladsome Light

Hallelujah- Griffin Kelp (Dana Project)  Check out the very great version by our friends The Digital Age!

House of God Forever- Jon Forman

How He Loves- John Mark McMillan

Come Ye Sinners- I sang the Robbie Seay version

Also, we had a request sent in this week and it was nice to have some input from the congregation.  If there is something you have been listening to that you think would be great for Ubc, please email tye@ubcwaco.org!

Thanks everyone,

Tye

Sunday Song List (September 9)

Friends, Here is the song list from last week.  If you ever have any questions about the songs or their arrangement, just email tye@ubcwaco.org and I'll be glad to help as best I can.  Also, if you have any questions about auto repair, installing wood floors, or the Green Bay Packers hit up josh@ubcwaco.org.

Song of Hope- Robbie Seay Band

Your Love is Strong- John Forman

Wayward Ones- The Gladsome Light

How Great Thou Art- you should check out the awesome version by our friends The Digital Age on the website: thedigitalagemusic.com

See you guys soon and happy listening!

Tye

Love Feast!

 

The first UBC Love Feast of the fall will be this coming Sunday, September 16th.  So mark your calendars!  Love Feast is one of the greatest things we do at UBC.  ("Of course it is," you say, "food is involved.")

Here is how food gets put on the table-- You bring it!  We ask everyone who is able to bring something made for at least 3-4 people.  But if you aren't able to bring anything, don't let that stop you from coming!

So that we don't have a table full of mac-and-cheese and Bush's chicken (which for some of us would be amazing,) we are asking certain groups of people to bring certain dishes.  If you are in a Mi Casa, please see your responsibilities below.  If you are not in a Mi Casa, bring whatever sounds good to you.  Either way, bring yourself and your friends.  Love Feast begins at 6:00pm.

Starchy Foods (Mac-and-Cheese, Potatoes, etc.)

Nash/Gunvordahl

BJ and Courtney Parker

McCarty

Vegetable Dishes

Walter

McGregor

Barrett/Kitten

Shane/Hodge

Main Dishes

Carney

Tweedt

Duke

Jack and Jana Parker

Heins

Wilhite

Desserts

Winn

Browning

Sunday Song List (Labor Day Weekend)

Hello everyone, Just wanted to post the song list from last Sunday. Hopefully Labor Day weekend was a good one for you.

Death in his Grave- John Mark McMillan

Like an Avalanche- Hillsong United

Jesus You're My King- The Gladsome Light

Jesus Paid it All

Come Thou Fount

Up on a Mountain- Welcome Wagon

If you liked the Welcome Wagon song, let us know and we'll get you a free CD! Also, thanks to Byron who played drums and Jameson who played guitar.  They will be playing a show (although with two separate bands) at Common Grounds this Friday night.  Be sure to check it out!

College Men's and Women's Bible Studies...

 

Like the cool clip art I've used for this?  I (think I can) promise that the College men's and women's Bible Study will not be that corny.  If it is, we promise it will be corny in the hipster-ish way that appropriates old images for a new purpose.

Regardless, we are excited to get our Wednesday night Bible Studies under way.  Our men's group will take place in the Rock and Roll Room and will be led by Nick Deere and Reagan Reynolds.  They will spend the semester looking through a particular book of the Bible.

The women's group will be led by Sharyl West Loeung and Alekza Latte, the owners of the two of the most interestingly spelled names in UBC history.  Using Eugene Peterson's "Eat this Book" as a springboard, they will be exploring HOW to read the Bible.  They will be meeting in the piano room.

Both groups meet on Wednesday night at 7:00pm.

Sunday Song List

Greetings! Each week we will be posting the song list from the previous Sunday.  If you heard something you liked or was meaningful, we hope you look into it further. This past Sunday we played these songs:

You are Holy- The Gladsome Light

All the Poor and Powerless- All Sons and Daughters (be sure to check out the Digital Age's awesome version of this song.  We are so fortunate to have then in our community and to be making great music for us as well!)

Because He Lives- Wild Bill Gaither...or just Bill Gaither.  Lots of good versions of this song out there.

Amazing Grace- John Newton, but you should check out this version here http://youtu.be/pEyEu-hS0fA

Raise Me Up- The Gladsome Light  (Offertory Song)

We hope that the whole of worship was meaningful to you last week.  Feel free to let us know if you come across a song that you feel like would speak well to our congregation by sending an email to Tye.  his email is tye@ubcwaco.org

Gracias! (Still trying to stay positive about not going to Agua Fiesta last night!)

The Fire of the Word Bible Studies...

At our Town Hall Meeting a couple of weeks ago we shared a little about our desire for discipleship and Spiritual Formation to become a more prominent place in the life of UBC than it has been in the past.  While recognizing that we continually want to be a place where people feel welcome and embraced in whatever spiritual condition they are in, and where they feel free to be completely authentic, not "putting on a show" of spirituality or "posturing holiness," we also want to be a community that challenges people to know God and for their lives to be changed by God.

One of the ways we hope this happens in the coming year is through our "Fire of the Word" Bible Studies.  The "Fire of the Word" is a book by Chris Webb that encourages scripture reading not just for receiving information about God, but for experiencing formation by God's word.  It remains very true to the ethos of UBC-- it is thoughtful, it doesn't take for granted familiarity with a certain evangelical way of speaking about faith, and it explores how people have experienced God through Scripture over time.  But it also may be an exercise in being stretch for many of us, as it also pushes us toward hearing God's voice in a way that we may not be comfortable or familiar with.

When does this Bible Study begin?

We will begin as soon as we hear enough interest from people to form a small group, and a time will be worked out that is best for everyone in the group.

What will it require of me?

The Fire of the Word consists of short, 6-10 page chapters that will be read weekly, and daily scripture readings.  Webb encourages a way of reading Scripture that is deliberate, thoughtful, and slow.  So for you to get the most out of this study it will require a sacrifice on your part of anywhere between 15-30 minutes of every day in study and reflection.

I'm interested, how do I sign up?

Email craig@ubcwaco.org.  Include in your email your name, age, if you are in school what your classification is, whether you are married and, if so, if you would like for your spouse to join you in the group, etc.  Also, let me know a few general times (i.e., weekday afternoons, saturday mornings, mwf lunch, etc.)  during the week when you would be available.

We are all excited and hopeful for the growth that will come out of these groups!

Readings for August 19, 2012

(We will begin sharing any readings-- reflections, Call to Worship, prayers, etc.-- that occur in our worship service on our blog.  The sermons can be heard via podcast... http://www.ubcwaco.org/podcast.html .)

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Reflection before the Call to Worship

At this point in our service we participate in the Call to Worship.  Before we do so, let’s get something out of the way—YES, worship is about more than what happens during this hour on Sunday morning.  YES, it is about our whole lives and YES worship can be a personal experience.  However, we also recognize that there is something distinctly special about this moment when we have all been called together to worship.

We are the people of God, in a particular time, at a particular place.  Throughout the week, we are the people of God scattered throughout various corners of this town—schools, law firms, restaurants, space transport companies,  social services agencies, just to name a few.  Today, however, we are the people of God gathered in one place for a common purpose—the worship of God, and there is a sense in which worship—though intimately personal—finds its FULLEST expression within the context of community.  The point here isn’t for you to have your own private experience with God, but for US to interact, as much as possible, with the fullness of God during this very important hour… together.

With that in mind, in our call to worship we make a proclamation to re-orient our focus on the God who has called us together.  We recite words that may resonate from deep within our hearts, but that we also may struggle deeply to connect with.  At UBC, you are welcome—if these words, and belief and faith in the risen Christ comes easy to you, you are welcome here.  If you are constantly eyeing the message and person of Jesus with more than a little suspicion and doubt, you are welcome here as well.   Regardless of where we stand, we say these words together in hopes that one day they will take root, change us and make us into the people God wants us to be.

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Call to Worship

In the middle of our journeys we stop, stand shoulder to shoulder with fellow pilgrims, and proclaim to each other, to the world and to God…

We are Jesus People.  Captivated by his life, energized by His spirit and hopeful of his return we are walking in his footsteps, on a journey to God.

 We have stumbled and we have fallen.  We have run too far ahead Jesus and have lagged too far behind.  Occasionally we have been a stumbling block to our fellow travelers…

Yet we are here and there is grace.

 We have been called to pull away, to rest, to consider where we have been and where Jesus is taking us…

We are Jesus people.  Listening to his voice.  Proclaiming our allegiance.  Following Him wherever he leads.

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Prayer (Adapted from the Book of Common Prayer)

Almighty God, you have given your only Son to be for us a sacrifice for sin, and also an example of godly life: Give us grace to receive thankfully the fruits of his redeeming work, and to follow daily in the blessed steps of his most holy life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

UBC Town Hall Meeting Notes...

(The following are notes from the UBC Town Hall meeting on Sunday August, 12.  Four of the full time staff shared with the community some important conversations that have been happening among the leadership of UBC over the past few months. Below is a synopsis.) Josh

Josh spoke briefly about how his tenure at UBC has been marked by a heightened reality of staff turnover, culminating in the departure of founding pastor David Crowder early last year.  This resulted in a period of trying to navigate leadership holes that had developed and in an elevated feeling of anxiety among the staff and others in the congregation.  Out of this came a series of meetings with the staff and Lacy McNamee, who is a part of the UBC community and an expert in organizational communication.  The biggest takeaway from these meetings was the conviction that we need to clarify and communicate exactly WHO WE ARE.  Our identity needed to be discussed.

One of the realities that had already changed and needed to be named is this:  While we began as a church that existed primarily for university students, and while that demographic still makes up a large portion of our congregation, the scope of our mission has expanded to include children, youth, young families, older professionals, grandparents and everyone in between.  Each of these demographic groups make up our church and exist in the community for the mutual benefit of the others, and will be embraced, not simply accommodated.  None of them are elevated in importance over the other.  (Interestingly, we believe approaching church this way is a much better model for nurturing the spiritual lives of college students than if we placed our sole focus on college students.)

As stated above, this is a reality that has already occurred, so in many ways we are already living in it.  However, there are some practical shifts that are implied by this:

• Financially, our ministry expenses will begin to reflect a greater balance in ministry focus.
• There will be a shift in the way we approach the calendar.  We will continue to operate on an academic calendar, as do most churches, but will not be bound by it to the extent we have been in the past.  (For example, this year, for the first time ever, we will hold a worship service on the Sunday closest to Christmas.)
• There will be a shift in our language.  While we certainly won't be "policing" this, and acknowledge that it will be a challenging transition for some, we will be careful not to refer to UBC as a "college church."  When speaking of the people in our community, we will be careful not to refer to them with the blanket term of "student."

All of this that Josh shared invites the question:  If our identity is no longer shaped solely by students, then what is our identity?  Who are we?  We have identified three areas that are already a part of our mission, vision or core values, but will take a more prominent role as we move forward.  These areas were shared by Tye, Toph and Craig.

Tye

Greater Engagement with the Arts and Culture-- It is our hope, as people who were created by God to create, that UBC will be known as a place that is known for embracing beauty and for leading the way (rather than mimicking contemporary culture) in creating art-- visual, musical, literary, etc.-- and for being an attractive and welcoming place for the local arts community.  Practical ways this will work itself out (which was discussed during the question/answer portion of the town hall) include promoting musical events, providing space for visual artists and creating groups for writers and other artists to help hone their gifts.

Toph

Being Missional both locally and globally-- We are renewing our commitment to being the presence of Christ and intentional neighbors in our immediate neighborhood, which is marked by extreme need.  Practically, this will mean that we refocus our efforts on partnering with Cesar Chavez Middle School, which is in the process of doubling in size.  We have set an ambitious goal of having 40 Lunch Buddies (mentors) available to the school.  We will host several community movie nights, a neighborhood clean-up day and our Annual Trunk-or-Treat program, all with the goal of getting to know our neighbors and finding out how we can be an influence on their lives.  We will also create involvement in our own community in administering the food pantry that we currently operate.  In addition to this, we will continue to focus on our partnership with Batay 50 in the Dominican Republic, walking alongside the families of that sugar cane village as we help them improve their quality of life.

Craig

Discipleship and Spiritual Formation -- UBC has always been a place that encourages authenticity.  People often share with us that they choose to become a part of our community because we are a place that allows them to be themselves and doesn't require them to fit into the mold of what "Good little Christians" are supposed to be.  Our vision statement is that we are a place that "Challenges People to Know God."  While there are many ways in which we do this well, there have often been times where we sacrifice discipleship and spiritual transformation on the altar of authenticity.  One of the reasons that we often shied away from "discipleship talk" is that we have seen many people be emotionally and spiritually hurt under the guise of "discipleship."  But rather than shying away, we will be deliberate about finding ways to redeem discipleship and to be intentional about helping others  become people who follow Jesus.  One of our own, Jacob Overby, will be doing his mentoring at UBC this coming year and his project will be to help us develop a model for discipleship that is authentic to who we are, yet consistent with where God wants us to be.  Our staff will be more intentional with connecting people and nurturing relationships that exist for the purpose of mutual-discipleship.

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After the meeting there was very productive conversation about what all this means.  A lot of great ideas were shared.  What was most encouraging is the amount of excitement generated around the desire to be people who more intentionally follow Jesus in every way possible.  We invite any comments, questions or suggestions you may have.

Sunday Morning Announcements...

There were so many announcements this morning that I've decided to post them here, so that you are without excuse.  :)

• This is the last week of Waco Dives.  On Tuesday at noon we will meet at Taqueria Jardin de Jalisco at 900 N. Valley Mills.  It is just next door to Baris, in the old Tommy B's/Schlotzkys building.
• Next Sunday after church we will have a clean day to get our building in shape for the return of those who have been away for the summer.  Pizza will be served.
• The next Sunday we will have a UBC Town Hall meeting.  Time TBA.
• This Friday, August 3, we will have our third-of-the-summer Parents Night out.  If you have young children and would like an evening to yourselves, we will take them off your hands!  For information email beth@ubcwaco.org
• Next Sunday is Stock-the-Food-Pantry Sunday.  We need everything, but especially the following items... Rice, Pasta, Canned Beans, Tuna and Peanut Butter.  
• Communion Service will continue throughout the break in other activities.  We will continue to meet at 6:30 until Wednesday the 22nd, at which point we will resume the 5:30 time.

Generosity...

Several weeks ago our food pantry was bare, full of expired items and empty shelf-space. Our teaching pastor, Josh Carney, put out a call of UBC to step up to the plate and go overboard with generosity, and now our food pantry looks like this.

Because of the summer, there are increasing financial demands on the families in our neighborhood-- children home from school, rising energy costs, etc.  Your generosity will go a LONG WAY in us being the presence of Christ to those families who need a little extra help.  Thanks UBC!

New Office Administrator...

Friends, We are pleased to welcome to the UBC staff Michelle Hale, who is our new Office Administrator!

Michelle and her husband Mike have been a part of UBC since early this year. They moved here from Ohio, where they attended Malone University, to attend George W. Truett Theological Seminary. Michelle's undergraduate degree was in Social Work, and she is a part of the MSW/M.Div. dual degree at Baylor and Truett. The newest member of their Michelle and Mike's family is Stella, a 4 month old lab/retriever mix

Michelle would like everyone to know that she feels blessed to be a part of and to work at such an amazing church as UBC!

Blessings,

UBC Staff

UBC in the Dominican Republic___(by toph whisnant.)

We moved to TN when I was 4.5yrs old, and my parents still live in the same house I grew up in.  As a pastor’s kid, I was well versed in prayer, bible drill, and always putting on my “Sunday’s best” anytime we were around people from church.  There is not a time in I can recall not knowing the name of Jesus, who he was, and the fact that he should have some kind of importance in my life.  As I grew in wisdom and stature (much like Jesus), I became keenly aware of two things: I am a sinner and I need Jesus.  For me, at least to my best recollection, the Gospel centered on Jesus, but secondly it centered on my personal relationship with Him. While I realize the intent of shaping Sunday School lessons, Vacation Bible School, and Sunday night youth sermons on having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, I feel I missed the whole part about the Kingdom of God coming on earth as it is in heaven.  When I heard the word “missions,” several things came to mind: poor people with few clothes on, starving children with swollen bellies, grass huts, Annie Armstrong, foreign people, and Gospel tracts.  While many images came to mind concerning missions, each one pointed me toward the main goal of anything the church did; evangelism.  From everything my young self could gather, the goal of anything we did, as a body of believers, was to get more people to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.

Skipping forward a few years, when I was a junior at Carson Newman College, the opportunity came for me to go live in Cagayan de Oro, Philippines to partner with local organizations ministering in the city.  This was the first opportunity for me to travel outside of the United States, and the Lord began a work within me I wouldn’t fully realize until 6 years later.  The Philippines opportunity fell through the cracks at the last minute, but a passion had developed within me to know the Lord’s work around the world.  While my definition of “missions” had evolved since my early years, my worldview was still pretty small.  Over the next several years this passion grew as I traveled to Mexico, Nicaragua, Canada, and Kenya.  In the summer of 2006, the word “missions” began to take on a fuller meaning for me as I spent 3.5weeks in Kenya among some of the poorest of the poor and several women who were infected or affected by HIV/AIDS.

I learned in college that you cannot tell people about Jesus without helping meet their physical, emotional, or social needs, but I still felt like everyone I knew saw “missions” as the opportunity to go, give, tell, serve, and leave.  On the trip to Kenya, I began asking better questions, and I began listening to the people of God much more than I shared.  It was in listening to people from another culture and language that I first began to understand when Jesus prays “your Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven” involves much more than simply a decision to “accept Christ into your heart.”  As Corbett and Fikkert put it in When Helping Hurts: “Yes, Jesus died for our souls, but He also died to reconcile--that is, to put into right relationship--all that He created.”

“Missions” is not about taking God into places where he seems not to be, nor is it simply about sharing the Gospel with everyone you encounter. “Missions” requires an acute listening to the voice of God and how he is already working in the places we find ourselves.

UBC took our first mission trip to Batey 50, Dominican Republic this past May, and we were able to see firsthand how God is working among the people there.  In preparation for the trip, our team intently sought to listen to the voice of God through one another, and to prepare ourselves to listen to the voice God in the people we would encounter.  Our brothers and sisters in Batey 50 taught us much over the course of our time there, but there was nothing more powerful than the time we shared a meal together our last day.  On the last day, after the Sunday service, our team provided money to have a meal catered for the entire batey.  This gave our group a chance to not only serve a meal to the people, but also a chance to sit around a common table and break bread together.  While the food was being set-up, the people of Batey 50 organized themselves into a few groups.  When the line opened for service, the people of Batey 50 made sure all the children of the village received their food first.  Next, the people led those in the village who were blind and/or crippled through the line to receive their food.  Next in line were the elders of the village, then mother’s with babies, and finally those who had not yet received food came through the line.  As we watched and served the people, they lived out the Gospel in front of our eyes.  The people were unselfish, they made sure to take care of those who could not take care of themselves, and they did all of these things with the joy of the Lord.  When we debriefed this moment later in the day, there was an unspoken challenge that had been given to all on the team: Do we understand how we saw Christ in action today, and are we willing to live as self-sacrificially?

Traveling to the DR we sought to understand, rather than to be understood.  Being in the DR we sought to listen, rather than to tell.  And leaving the DR we were challenged to remember how God is moving among our brothers and sisters in Batey 50, so that we will not fall back into the routine of self-centeredness.  Yes, part of the Gospel is about having a relationship with Jesus Christ, but the good news is that God is reconciling the world to himself in Christ, all of it.  The Kingdom of God is much bigger than we can imagine, and I am thankful we were able to see a small glimpse of the Kingdom in action in Batey 50.  May we always seek to understand before being understood, may we learn to listen well to the voice of God in others, and may we embrace beauty in all things.

Becoming a "South Baptist"___(by josh carney)

I am a pastor at University BAPTIST Church.  If you had told me 15 years ago that this would be the case, I would have never believed you. My impression of Baptist was shaped by my experiences.  There was one Baptist church in my small Northern Wisconsin town of predominantly German Catholic/Scandinavian Lutherans.  I was a nondenominational charismatic.  The few Baptists I knew seemed frigid and reeked of the wrong kind of religious piety.  To make matters (or at least impressions) worse, the other Baptists I knew were from the area home school group of which I was a part.  They were kind but struck me as culturally unaware in way that made the Amish look like hipsters.  We’d gather for co-op events like down hill ski day and the Baptist homeschoolers would show up in long jean skirts with scarves wrapped around their ankles.  Attempts at cultural conversations about Michael Jordan, Jackson or J. Fox were completely futile.  The only Mike they new about was the one that helped Daniel.

Given this, it might surprise readers to know that I chose to go to a Baptist college.  At Bethel University I discovered Swedish Baptists, which are part of the Baptist General Convention (BGC).  These Baptist shared my evangelical flare, but lacked the gifts of the Holy Spirit.  Lucky for them I came to Minnesota to fix that.  The next four years were some of the most formative of my life, as college often is.  I moved toward a Baptist identity and in the process discovered that many of my BGC friends already knew about the Holy Spirit and had a wide variety of ways of responding to that knowledge.

Variety, I would come to learn, is an identity marker of Baptist life.  Pick a theological issue and you’ll find a variety of opinions from a variety of Baptists.  This point was made poignantly clear to me by the stark differences in Greg Boyd and John Piper’s Baptist churches, both of which are BGC churches I visited during my four your stint in St. Paul.  The two have about as divergent of opinions possible on issues including, but not limited to: salvation, providence, and God’s knowledge.  If I moved to one side of the Baptist tent, what I discovered is that I didn’t have the keen vision needed to see the other side.  Baptist, I learned, meant a lot of things.

It wasn’t until I got to Truett Seminary that I actually learned what a Baptist was.  In my polity class we learned that the Baptist distinctives are: autonomy of the local church, soul competency, two ordinances, priesthood of all believers, separation of church and state, Biblical authority, and two ordinances of the church (give or take a few … see autonomy of the local church).   At this point I thought to myself, “self, I could get behind this Baptist thing.”

The other lesson I learned about Baptist when I came to Truett is that there are a lot of politics in Baptist life.  Peers would refer to the big six Southern Baptist Seminaries none of which I had ever heard of.  Anonymous someones would share how people had been hurt, fundamentalists had taken over and moderates were organizing in response.  I quickly learned that I was not a Southern Baptist, though I was now a Baptist in the south.  So this is how I now self identify:  As Baptist with a southern flavor distinguishing myself from Southern Baptist.

But it’s not just being Baptist that has taken some getting used to, it’s also the South.  Madison, the capital of my home state Wisconsin, was the first city to lobby to have sex change operations reimbursed with public money.  This example is accompanied by the social climate that one might suspect gives rise to that sort of political legislation.  If you are a demographer of any kind you might guess that the North is a much more sterile, even religiously hostile, place.  Though census reports may reveal that religion runs rampant, Christian faith and more accurately denominational affiliation is by and large a civic duty.  No one talks about the Jesus at the center of their Chreaster goings.

Conversely, the first week my wife and I lived here we stood in line at Jason’ Deli listening a pair of young women in front of us talking about church planting.  Instead of the yellow pages being dominated by bars, they are consumed by churches.  I was shocked when I reached the center of field as a coach my son’s soccer team and the referee asked who was going to pray—a city league mind you.  I thought about volunteering and ending the prayer with “and we pray these things in the name of Allah,” to make a point, but wisdom prompted me to do otherwise.

Waco has turned out to be a much different place than Tomahawk, where I grew up.  It might be because the city plays host to the largest evangelical university in the world, but I’d argue that Waco lays exclusive claim to the title, “buckle of the Bible belt.”

Given this, pastoring in the Baptist South has presented me with interesting challenges and opportunities for growth.  I love the passion of the South.  Though I don’t always agree, I love that South Baptists care so much.  I love the sincerity of people around here.  People aren’t just nosy, they are concerned.  I love Baptists’ insistent belief that each congregation is unique and has something to contribute to the Kingdom.  I love how networked this world is.  The differences between large “C” and little “c” church is relatively minimal not just among Baptists but even across some denominations.

I love the efficiency of the second person singular and plural forms “y’all” and “all y’all”.  I love the Baylor Bears.  I now love brisket and TexMex and will even occasional enjoy a sweet tea.

But most of all I love UBC.  This community has redefined church for me in the healthiest possible way.

Embracing the Beauty in Others ______(by katie lauve moon)

This week will be Katie Moon's final week as the UBC Office Manager.  Next month she will be moving to New Orleans to begin work on her Ph.D. in Social Work at Tulane University.  Katie and Timmy have been a part of the UBC family for several years and have left an indelible on our community.  They will be greatly missed.  Below are farewell words from Katie... _________________________________

I went to college at Louisiana Tech University.  To many, a Louisiana state school means one thing---trouble.  But if you were a Louisiana native like myself, you would understand that all that trouble happens in the bottom half of the state and that everything grows lily white in the northern half of Louisiana.  You would also know that Louisiana Tech (of the north) thrives in the richness of the great Bible Belt in a dry town called Ruston. Now, Ruston is a safe place where good ole boys, Protestants, and Republicans can all live on forever finding their family, friends, and purpose all in one place—First, Second, or Third Baptist Church right down the road. This is where I spent four years of my life. This is where I began to build the adult version of myself. This is the environment that welcomed and guided me as I entered into arguably a person’s most transformative time of life.  And I loved it.

I loved that I was surrounded by a group of people that was concerned with my spiritual journey. I loved that they cared enough about me to give me an accountability partner, feed me lunch on Tuesdays, and call when I missed a Sunday. I had my own little world safe and separate from the big, scary college world. It was very similar to the youth group I came from. It was home away from home.

But then I turned 21 [insert dramatic music that indicates a shift in theme]. Now readers, I think we can all call a hen, a hen here and not be so naïve to think that I didn’t drink alcohol before my 21^st birthday. Of course, I did. But I did most of my drinking in the closet next to my shoes. And when I say in the closet, I mean with my sorority sisters outside city limits far away from my friends at the Baptist Collegiate Ministry (BCM). Now, I didn’t do it without guilt. A whole lot of guilt and begging for forgiveness from God, and confessing. Well, not a whole lot of confessing.  I did confess it to my college minister and accountability partner one time, and then I was under constant surveillance for the next 3 months (I think that is the standard amount of time it takes to get the devil out of you). That was the last time I did that.

When I turned 21 though, I became more open about my casual drinks and my “community” became more open about their disdain for my choices.  I was still “welcomed” but I was on the fringe.  To be real honest, my heathen sorority sisters gave me more love and grace than I ever found at the BCM (with a few exceptions). Point being, I found that most of my friends at church only accepted me if I agreed to fit into the acceptable mold that they had created and that the generation before had created for them. I was backed into a corner forced to choose between two groups, two lives, two perspectives. It was a black or white issue.  And what did I do? Well, I chose my church group, of course. Did you think I would risk my eternity for authentic friendships? Nope. I stepped right into that mold and shut the door. Misery now, but paradise tomorrow.

The next natural step for me was to answer my call on my life and go to seminary.  Perhaps, I initially chose to go to seminary because of the urgings of people around me.  But really, that wasn’t the reason.  A voice within me (within me, not a literal one), told me there was more for me to discover about this universe and about God, and this discovery began in seminary.  I came to Truett not knowing much about it.  I actually came to Truett because it offered a dual degree social work program not because I knew it would offer me a totally new way of learning about and experiencing God. But it was here that walls crumbled and doors opened for me. For the first time, I was being taught how to think not what to think. There were so many opinions and perspectives all under one roof…and it was okay. Welcomed, even.  I began to discern my thoughts and feelings about my college experience. The trouble wasn’t that I disagreed with my college folks’ perspective, the trouble was that there was only one perspective that I could choose to agree with. Where were my options? Was it absurd to think that there could be (should be) more? Couldn’t we see things differently, and still all be Christians at the end of the day? I found that it’s not about whether we are liberals or fundamentalists, drinkers or non-drinkers, Republicans or Democrats, country singers or rap idols—it’s that we agree to make room for all of us and at least try to understand and sympathize with each other’s viewpoints. Let’s create a little bit of gray.

This lesson I learned at Truett came to fruition in my time here at UBC.  Because of the acceptance and grace UBC offers, I was able to experience community in a very intimate and authentic way. UBC truly became a home filled with love and support as well as a solace for different opinions, approaches, and even shortcomings. I was allowed to become the most authentic and honest version of myself at UBC and be given the invaluable gift of freedom.  As a congregant, student, and staffer at UBC, I have gotten to see and experience what it is to love others and be loved wholly.  My husband, Timmy, and I will be eternally grateful for our experience here.  The friendships we have made and the approach to life and community we have experienced will always be kept in the pocket closest to our hearts. Always ready and handy to be taken out and shown to others we meet as we journey forward.

As we say good-bye to this community, I am reminded of a sermon I heard in college from 1 Corinthians 12 which speaks about unity and diversity within the church’s body.  The lesson I learned that day was that we all have tangible and different gifts that we offer as members of the body of Christ.  We all need each other because we all offer a valuable function to the community.  I don’t doubt that this is true.  But, (admittedly, this is without reverting to commentaries-forgive me) I now have to believe that this passage is referring to more than just the tangible elements we have to offer. It’s not only our different tangible gifts and functions that make the body the body, but our intangible and diversified collection of souls.  And with this comes our call to embrace others fully and wholly.

“But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.” 1 Cor. 12:25-26

UBC. May you always be a community that embraces the beauty in others.

Musical Boxing: Art vs. Accessibility _(by tye barrett)

A few weeks ago I was hired by Ubc to be the new Worship and Arts Pastor.  The title “Worship and Arts Pastor” excites me, in part because it sounds way cooler than “Minister of Music”, but also because I know that I am a part of a community that values creativity and the act of being creative in our worship. About a year after Dave had moved to Atlanta, the Leadership Team began meeting to discern what music, worship, and art would be like in Dave’s absence.  The Leadership Team felt that it was important for our church to continue to celebrate art and using art in worship with the same careful and thoughtful attitude that Dave worked so hard to foster here. Thus, Worship and Art.

Occasionally, the way we use art and our creativity in worship can be challenging.  This challenge can be easily perceived when overhearing someone say, “The music was really artistic, but it just was not accessible.” Accessible may mean several different things to the person making this statement- that they didn’t have the spiritual experience they sought, they didn’t prefer that style of music, that it was too fast or slow, too loud or soft, or perhaps that they weren’t familiar enough with the words to sing along. Many times I think it can mean that the worship just made them feel uncomfortable. There is a need for us to be creative in worship, but also a need for the congregation to connect with what is going on.

Below you will find Round 1 of a two-part match between art and accessibility.

………………………………………………………………………

In the left corner: at 119 pounds, in plastic black framed glasses, vintage T-shirt, clove cigarettes, no money, and a weird beret…Art.

And in the right corner: at 130 pounds, with a minivan, Starbucks, KLOVE radio, and a Target gift card…Accessibility.

Round 1- Trying to be Radiohead

DING

Circa 2010 I thought that most Christian bands sucked and that they didn’t work hard enough to be artistic.  On a muggy summer night in Houston, I, critic extraordinaire, had the chance to prove once and for all that Christian music can in fact be creative.  Below is the account of this heroic tale.

I was really fortunate to have a roommate as cool as Griffin Kelp.  Griffin is one cool dude. His beard grooms itself, he looks good in Wayfarers, and he is comfortable in his own skin. Griffin also makes very cool music.

So, when my friend Kyle Wilson, a youth minister at UBC Houston, gave me a call and asked if I could put together a band for an event he was having at his church I quickly said yes and then quickly called Griffin. Being the ever-nice guy that he is, Griffin agreed and we quickly went to work. I worked hard to pick out songs for our band that I thought were artistic, the type of songs one would associate with guys that looked as cool as Griffin.  We learned Radiohead’s All I Need, Crazy by Seth Woods (aka the Whiskey Priest) and a few more awesomely obscure slightly spiritual tunes.  We made loops, came up with interesting guitar parts, and worked hard to create a unique sound. Our efforts produced a band that what I, and probably many of you, would consider artistic.

Kyle asked us to play as the students walked in. The lights were dark, we were rocking, and in they came. After the first song the lights in the room came up.  I looked out across the room and noticed that there were only about four people in the room over the age of twelve.  These students were not just kids, but Kids. Turns out we were playing for a group of soon to be sixth graders who were about to matriculate into Kyle’s youth ministry. It became immediately apparent in the wide eyes of these children that our artistic approach was not going over well. We painfully made our way through a twenty-minute set.

Even though the worship set that Griffin and I had played that first night was intentionally artistic and creative, it failed to connect with the students of Kyle’s ministry.  In our desire to be artistic we left these young minds with the impression that a worship service is a time for a band to get up and experiment while they look at lyrics on a screen. We failed to me the needs of those we were trying to serve. Before we played the next day, we quickly learned a few songs that were more appropriate for the students that Kyle had brought us in to play for.

Like that night in Houston, there are times when our efforts to be creative backfire. Sometimes we work so hard to be unique, to push ourselves artistically, and to experiment with new sounds and textures that we fail to meet the needs of our congregation. I wish Griffin and my experience in Houston was an isolated incident, but every now and then I look out into the congregation and see something in the eyes of twenty and thirty year olds that reminds me of what I once saw in a group of twelve year olds.  As we at Ubc continue to value art and creativity in worship, it is important for us to keep moments like the one I had in Houston in mind.

Well after a few good swings it looks like round one goes to Accessibility.  Don’t go anywhere folks, we’ll be back after a short break with Round 2:  Not Wanting to be Nickleback.